Hazel Rhodes Named WSC Female Track Athlete of the Year to Headline Cougars’ All-Conference Selections

Photo collage of track & field student-athlete Hazel Rhodes along with College of the Canyons athletics and Western State Conference logos, and text announcing her status as WSC Track & Field Athlete of the Year.

May 29, 2025

By Jesse Muñoz/COC Sports Information Director

College of the Canyons freshman Hazel Rhodes has been named the Western State Conference (WSC) Female Track Athlete of the Year, capping a year in which the standout student-athlete won state and conference championships in the 400m event.

Rhodes headlines the Cougars' 2025 class of All-WSC honorees which includes a combined 45 selections across the men's and women's programs. Awards were presented based on performance at the 2025 WSC Track & Field Prelims & Championships held April 18 and 25.

The Saugus High School graduate was spectacular for Canyons in her freshman campaign, winning the individual 3C2A State Championship in the 400m with a season-best time of 55.62 to also earn Junior College All-American honors.

In claiming the state title Rhodes became just the third state champ in COC women's track & field program history, and the 10th for Canyons track & field all time. Rhodes is also the first COC student-athlete to win a state championship in the 400m event, and the eighth individual state champion under longtime COC track & field/cross country head coach Lindie Kane.

Rhodes' performance at the state meet came on the heels of a stellar outing during the WSC Championships, in which she competed in seven events (200m, 400m, shot put, javelin, discus, 4x100, 4x400) and brought home two conference titles.

She earned individual All-WSC First Team selections in the 400m (55.91/conference champion), 200m (25.48/3rd) and javelin (28.49m/93' 6"/3rd) events.

Rhodes also joined with teammates Monique Fulling, Amara Shields and Syrai Piper to win a conference title in the 4x400 relay (4:01.62/event champion), with that same grouping also bringing home a First-Team selection in the 4x100 relay (49.59/3rd).

In the field events, Rhodes earned a Second Team designation in the discus (30.71m/100' 9"/4th) and was Honorable Mention in the shot put (8.64m/28' 4.25"/8th).

Women's Team All-WSC Awards

In all, the Canyons women's team was recognized with 32 total selections coming from 13 individual student-athletes and two relay teams.

Joining Rhodes as an individual First-Team honoree was Monique Fulling who brought home conference titles in both the 100h (15.48) and 400h (1:06.89) events and finished third in the long jump (5.20m/17' 0.75"). Elsewhere, Samantha Rodriguez in the 400h (1:09.13/2nd) and Jessica Clemons in the discus (31.37m/102' 11") were also First-Team selections.

Second-Team awards went to Fulling (100m), Rodriguez (javelin), Shields (400m), Alyssa Arriaga (1500m), Victoria Jamison (1500m, 5000m), Giselle Ruiz (10,000m), and Brianna Nodine (triple jump).

Honorable Mention selections were awarded to Rodriguez (100h, high jump), Piper (200m, 400m), Shields (javelin), Katelyn Catu (800m), Kaiya Cortinas (1500m), Emily Fairbanks (800m, 3000m steeplechase, triple jump), Nodine (high jump) and Ruiz (5000m).

COC placed third in the team standings at the WSC championships, a single point behind Moorpark College in second place. The Cougars then sent 13 individual student-athletes and both relay teams to compete at the 3C2A SoCal Championships.

Canyons concluded its season at the state meet with Rhodes joined by freshman Victoria Jamison, who finished sixth in the 5,000m.

Men's Team All-WSC Awards

COC's men's program boasted 13 total selections, with seven individual student-athletes and both relay teams being honored.

Freshman Antonio Moore, the conference champion in both the 110h and 400h events, was the only first-team selection for Canyons.

The Cougars also garnered nine second-team awards and two Honorable Mention awards.

All-WSC Second Team awards went to: Gavin Dion (800m, 1500m), Travis Dyson (shot put, javelin), Joshue Hines (110h), Derrick Shannon (shot put, discus), Josh Smith (400m) and both the 4x100 relay (Dre Kermah, J. Smith, Moore, Da'Marrie Smith) and 4x400 relay teams (J. Smith, Moore, Dion, Kermah).

Nathaniel Wilkinson (3,000m steeplechase) and Dyson (javelin) were both recognized as Honorable Mention selections.

Canyons placed seventh in the team standings at the WSC Championships, before seeing six student-athletes and both relay teams qualify for competition at the 3C2A Southern California Championships in May.

The Cougars then saw Dion (1500m) and Moore (110h) both move on to compete at the 3C2A State Championship meet, with Moore eventually finishing runner-up in his event.

Stay up to date on all this season's action by following the College of the Canyons Athletic department on social media at @COCathletics on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.